Valley of Roses, Tea with Nomads and Off-road to Dadès Gorge

Tour summary

Private day tour in 4x4 vehicle from Ouarzazate heading east along the Dadès Valley, which forms part of the so-called "Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs". This day tour takes in the Amerhdil kasbah at Skoura, the Valley of Roses (best seen in March/April/May), and the magnificient Dadès Gorge with its incredible rock-formations. A special feature of this day trip is the off-road adventure section between the Valley of Roses and the Dadès Gorge where you will have the opportunity to share a glass of mint-tea with Berber nomads, living a simple life as goatherds and dwelling in rocky caves. This is a stunning road trip from Ouarzazate for those who want to experience natural rugged beauty and Berber culture of the South of Morocco, literally taking you off the beaten path. Group size from 2 - 5 people sharing. All ages and fitness levels. Approx 4 hours drive in each direction on and off-road. English-speaking tour driver/guide.

Or call us now on +212 (0)615 647918 (Morocco) or +44 (0)208 123 7969 (UK)

Please note: All our Morocco tours can be customised to allow extra days for shorter daily car journeys, extra activities, relaxation days, exploration days etc. We can also adapt tours to connect with different start/end locations in Morocco. Let us know your wishes and we will build your perfect Morocco tour itinerary.

Price:Contact us for a personalised quotation.
Prices will vary according to number of people travelling in vehicle, number of days, time of year, category of accommodation chosen and activities requested.

NB Our Morocco tours are private tours organised upon request.

Day tour itinerary

Day 1

Ouarzazate - Skoura - Valley of Roses - Dades Gorge - Dades Valley

9.00am departure from your hotel in Ouarzazate to head through the Dadès Valley, which divides the High Atlas and the Jbel Saghro mountains to the south. After about 30 mins we reach the Skoura oasis and visit the restored mud-built Kasbah Amerhdil which dates to the 17th century. The history of the various Berber tribes and kasbahs of the region is displayed through photographs, artefacts and costumes at the nearby Skoura museum.
From Skoura the road continues towards the town of Kelaa M’Gouna in the Dadès Valley.This is the centre of the region known as the "Valley of Roses" - so called for the perfect conditions, climate and thus cultivation of the ‘damascus’ rose in the fields that line the route from Kelaa M’Gouna to Boumalne du Dadès, and into the valleys that cut into the southern slopes of the Atlas Mountains from Kelaa M’Gouna to Boutharar. The famous Festival of Roses takes place in Kelaa M’Gouna in early May and the area is teaming with dried roses, rose perfumes, rose garlands, traditonal Berber music, celebration and pageantry. Throughout April and May, the women from surrounding villages pick 700 tons of rose petals, which are then distilled into a highly fragrant rosewater used for perfumes, cosmetics, sopas and essential rose oils are extracted. We take the small road that winds high up to Boutharar, with panoramic views over the valley below and to terraced fields where the roses are in full bloom during the spring. From here we drive off road to visit Ait Atta nomads living a tough pastoral existence, making their homes in the caves in the rock. We will stop to share a glass of mint tea with a family and to learn a little about their culture. The journey then continues on rocky pistes to enter the Dadès Gorge. Along the route that snakes northwards into the gorge you will see kasbahs, adobe villages, palm groves, walnut, almond, fig, citrus and pomegranate trees. This region is also know for its spectacular natural rock formations including eroded sandstone cliffs known as "the monkeys’ fingers". We travel as far as the famous switchback bends of the Dadès Gorge route and will stop for lunch close to the waters edge on route. Time to stretch the legs before returning directly to Ouarzazate following the Dadès Valley, or “Road of a Thousand Kasbahs”. Between Ouarzazate and Tineghrir and south towards Zagora in the Draa Valley, the so-called Route of a Thousand Kasbahs is lined with rust-red adobe fortresses built by Berber tribes to protect themselves from invaders, Today’s drive is spectacular, with hundreds of Kasbahs lining this section of the route that runs through the Dadès Valley - some inhabited, some restored and some slowly dissolving into ruin. You return to Ouarzazate by around 6/7pm after an exhilarating and spectacularly beautiful day tour in the Southern Valleys and Oases of Morocco.

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